Start Squatting!

Friday, February 16, 2018

These are easy to do anywhere, anytime! And often, the most dreaded exercise to do. But since my knee injury last March, and surgery to replace my ACL and repair my meniscus this past May, I have learned the invaluable benefits of strengthening the glutes. Those butt muscles are not just good for twerking!

After surgery, I had a limited ability to bend my left knee. And with the help of my physical therapist, I learned many small moves that make such a big difference. The key is to do it RIGHT. Position is super important to target the right muscles.

I will just show you one of the easiest squats to start. It may be easy, but if you do it consistently, it will get the job done!

1) Stand upright and make sure your feet are both planted evenly. Your feet should be a shoulder width apart.

2) Now bend the knees and stick your butt out behind you (like your butt is reaching for a seat). If you’ve ever gone skiing, imagine yourself in that position. For greater balance, stretch your arms out in front of you or gently hold onto something like the back of a chair or counter.

Make sure your knees DON’T go past your toes when they bend. It’s more important to push your buttocks backwards and feel that stretch in those glutes.

3) Do 10 of these, nice and slow. Bend knees and then straighten them. Slow, small and smooth movements fire up those muscles more than fast quick ones.

4) That is it!! Easy, right? Took like 1 or 2 minutes to do, yes? So you can’t say you don’t have time to do them!

5) Now here is the The WenEver part: I want you to do these squats whenever (or WenEver) you can! Just do 10 at a time three to five times throughout the day. You can do these while you’re brushing your teeth, folding laundry or watching TV. You can even do it while you’re waiting to pick up your kids from school or their after school activities. I promise you that by the end of the first week, you’ll notice it won’t be as difficult to climb a flight of stairs. You’ll get in and out of your car easier. Do this religiously for a month, and your butt will be tighter, firmer and more lifted. You’ll look real good in your jeans!